Cherry Blossom
by BuBuWinter
Summary: Cerise never wanted to be a wizard. She doesn't feel the same passion or excitement as the others, just sadness. Still, she attends Ravenwood because it's what her brother would've wanted. When a dark and sinister evil arises though, she'll have to be strong in order to save the Spiral. If she allows the pain in her heart to continue, the world will fall around her. -Need OC's-
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: So, I'd just like to make it clear that this is NOT super-clean writing. Still decent- I made sure it was - but it's not as clean as I'd like and seems a bit rushed to me. That's just my opinion though. You guys are welcome to think what you'd like xP I DO need OC's for this story though, so if you want to submit one all the information I'll need is at the bottom of the chapter :) I'd also like to mention this story will be separate from Lightning Gaze and Scarlet, so there won't be appearances by any of those characters. ENJOY!  
**_

_**~In dedication to Jarod Maxwell. October 1, 1997 - September 13, 2012. Happy birthday buddy~**_

**Chapter 1:  
**

Miss. Meredith placed the bowl of salad in front of me. It looked crisp and yummy like it was just picked from the garden - and it probably was. The carrots were a bright orange, the lettuce leaves sparkled in the lamp-light, the tomatoes looked red and juicy. Everything about it looked delicious, but…

"Cerise, why aren't you eating?" It was Miss. Meredith's sweet voice that asked the question. I shrugged, not meeting the Marleybonian's gaze. Instead I kept staring at that yummy little salad. My stomach started growling, sounding like a starved Minotaur, but I didn't move my hand to pick up the silver fork. _Just one more night, Sellus, _she thought. _Then we'll be out of here._

"Cerise..." Miss. Meredith wrapped her paw-like hands around my own, the fur brushing gently against my skin. She placed a hand on my cheek and made me look at her. Her green-blue eyes sparkled with sympathy. "I know you're upset, hun, but you have to eat at some point."

"Why?" I murmured, looking away again. "Sellus can't eat anymore. Why do I have to?"

"Because that's what Sellus would want. He wouldn't want his sister to starve," I shook my head and shoved the salad away. It spilled over, the little red tomatoes rolling off the table and plopping onto the ground. Mr. Whiskers, the orphanage's fire-cat pet, trotted over and began licking them up. _Let him, kitties need to eat too. _Miss. Meredith sighed and pulled away from me, shooing Mr. Whiskers and bending down to pick up what the cat hadn't managed to get. I took the chance to get out of my seat, sneaking down the hall towards my room.

When I flicked on the light, everything was still the same. A bunk bed rested against one wall of the room, a large window on another, and two dressers on the last. One dresser held boys clothes, one held girls clothes. The top bunk had dark blue blankets with stars and moons on it, the bottom bunk had light purple blankets with yellow Storm insignias on it. One half of the windowsill had action figures of various wizards, another half had unicorns and dolls. In the middle was a picture of us, me and Sellus. I slowly made my way over to it, picking it up and staring at it. We were twins. Same short brown hair, same plush lips, same wide brown eyes and same petite body. We were playing wizard together when this picture was taken. He was a Pyromancer and I was a Diviner. I think he was winning, but I couldn't remember. I sat down on the bed, feeling tears gently roll down my cheeks. He was my best friend. _You're still my best friend Sellus._

I heard Miss. Meredith come down the hall and spotted her shadow as it paused by the door. The door handle gently shook, but before she was able to open it the bell rang. Again Miss. Meredith paused, then finally, after a few long moments, I heard the _tap tap tap _of her heels as she walked away to answer the door. I slumped my head on my pillow, hugging the picture to my chest. _You're still my best friend, Sellus. Just think, one more day until we're wizards. We'll be wizards, Sellus. _I felt my heart pound unforgivably at my chest, making me feel like that one time that bully was beating me up. Only this time, Sellus wouldn't save me. Sellus was never going to save me ever again.

The tears streamed down my cheek and my throat started to hurt as I fought back my sobs. The other kids hated it when I sobbed. They said it kept them up at night. Suddenly a brighter light streamed into the room as the door creaked open and I felt my bed weigh down. A hand rested itself on my shoulder, but it wasn't the same plush, furry one of Miss. Meredith, but a stronger one. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a man dressed in all red. His caramel eyes sparkled with sympathy.

"Hi mister Jenstin..." I whispered, feeling a tear trickle into my mouth. It tasted salty, and I shook my head to rid of the taste and the rest of the falling tears, but it didn't work. Jenstin gave me a small, unhappy smile as he used his finger to brush away some lingering tears on my cheek.

"Hi Cerise..." he murmured, gently brushing my hair out of my face. "How are you?"

I sat up and leaned on his shoulder, still hugging the picture as I sobbed into his shirt, more salty tears dripping into my mouth as his strong arms wrapped around me. A few groans from upstairs told me I woke some of the kids up, and I forced myself to shut my mouth. Forced myself to stop sobbing. Forced myself to listen to their angry grunts. _It's rude to wake people up, right Sellus? _Jenstin rested his hands on my shoulders and pulled me away. He took out his handkerchief and wiped away some more tears. "It's alright to cry, sweetheart," he murmured. "You need it."

Even as he said it I didn't allow myself to sob. I felt my nails gently begin scratching at the back of my picture. "I miss him Jenstin..."

"I know..." his arms wrapped around me again, and gratefully I leaned against his chest. "Just think. Tomorrows a new day...a new dawn...things will be better."

"You've been saying that all week, and it's not getting better." Jenstin's chest blew up as he took a slow, deep breath.

"Tomorrow you'll go to Ravenwood though. Won't it be nice to be out of this orphanage?" I pulled away from him as he said it, the name of the dreaded school _Ravenwood_. Sellus had wanted to go there since he first found out about it. Sellus wanted to be a wizard. Sellus _deserved _to be a wizard. I hopped out of bed and stared out of the window. Jenstin stayed seated where he was, looking at me sadly. Helplessly. _No one can help me, no one except Sellus._

"I don't want to go anymore..."

"Why not?" There was genuine shock in his tone as if he expected a different answer, something like 'I'll go for Sellus' or 'I guess it is better'. He was wrong though. The reason _was _because of Sellus, but what he _thought _was wrong. He'd always be wrong...

"Because Sellus won't be there." Jenstin's frown deepened, and he came over to rest his hands on my shoulders one final time, giving me a gentle kiss on the top of my head. He squeezed my shoulders once before pulling away and walking slowly out of the room. He realized he wouldn't be any help to me, I guessed. Not anytime soon at least. I continued to look out the window for a while longer. It had rained the night before, and some of the remaining puddles reflected the streetlights. The sky, which was now devoid of any clouds, sparkled with stars and moonlight, and in the distance I saw a small circular shape. I wasn't sure if it was Krokotopia or Mooshu, but I knew it was some far off world. A world that could only be reached through the Spiral Door.

_The Spiral Door, _I thought. Sellus had always wanted to go to all the different worlds, from Wizard City to Celestia, even to the far off Azteca. A part of me also wanted to explore those worlds, especially now that Sellus was gone, but it didn't seem right. His eyes wouldn't be able to see the wonders the Spiral had to offer. His ears would never capture the sounds of Mooshu's waterfalls, or the festive music if Wizard City. His hands would never know what it was like to hold a wand and cast a spell. Everything that this universe had to offer would only be mine to explore, not Sellus's.

I glanced over at the grandfather clock. Midnight. My eyes suddenly felt heavy and I knew I needed sleep. I went back over to the bed, only this time I went on the top bunk, curling myself in Sellus's old blankets and continuing to hug the picture. _I'll go to Ravenwood, Sell, if only for you. Goodnight, brother, _The tears started up again, creating the same old salty rivers. _I'll miss you…_

* * *

It was early the next morning I felt a hand shake my shoulder. When I opened my eyes I saw Miss. Meredith, her eyes and voice as gentle as always. "Its time to go."

"Already…" I groaned, pulling myself up in a sitting position. I felt nauseous, dizzy, like I was about to fall over. Miss. Meredith nodded and sadly glanced at the picture, which I was still hugging to my chest.

"I know Ravenwood doesn't normally allow students to take many things coming into the school, but…" She glanced around the room. "I'm sure you can take the picture with you and maybe one other thing," I frowned, thinking. Almost everything - except for the picture, of course - belonged to the orphanage, and I wasn't at all comfortable with taking what didn't belong to me. Miss. Meredith glanced over at the windowsill, staring at our favorite toys we had. "You can take one of those, if you'd like."

I didn't hesitate long before jumping off the bed, already knowing what I wanted to bring. I grabbed an old wooden toy puppet that had a red wizards hat and orange robe. It wasn't as cool or neat as some of Sellus's other toys or even my dolls, but it was his favorite. _You can't come Sellus, but I'll make sure a part of you does. _

I nodded to Miss. Meredith, telling her I was ready. She gave a small, faint smile and rested her furry hand on my shoulder. I hugged the toy and the picture tighter to my chest as she lead me down the hall towards the dining room. Seven or eight other kids my age were already there, sitting and standing about as they quietly talked to each other, excitement lighting their eyes and their smiles spanning from cheek to cheek. I couldn't bring myself to feel the same. Not only was Sellus not going to be there with me, but none of my other friends from the orphanage were old enough to join the school. I was completely alone.

I shivered, suddenly feeling cold and terrified, and in an effort to comfort myself I stroked the coarse, familiar fabric of the toy. It didn't help. My legs started to shake, and unable to keep myself up any longer I collapsed in the corner of the room. It felt like a large chasm had opened itself in the pit of my stomach, opening wider and wider, threatening to make me throw up, threatening to make me look like a sick fool, threatening to take away any chance I had of leaving the orphanage, threatening to ruin Sellus's favorite toy, threatening to ruin the only things I had left of him. I swallowed, feeling the disgusting, bitter bile return to the chasm it came from, burning up my insides. Broken glass replaced my heart, stabbing and cutting me with every painful beat. My chest grew heavy, like I was deep underwater, and I gasped for breath, tears forming in my eyes as I finally realized what death really meant: _I was never going to see my brother again. _

I finally realized he was going to be nothing but a memory. His smile would be gone. His laugh would be gone. His warmth would be gone. His love and protection would be gone. His eyes, which once saw everything with a curious and bright light, would never be able to see again. His hands, which so often played with the wooden toy _I _now held, would never be able to feel again. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. _I was never going to hear his voice again, or feel his arms wrap around me in a hug. He was gone… _I felt myself break, and unable to hold it in any longer, I retched.

Suddenly every little voice stopped and I felt the stares of everyone on me, their disgust and surprise apparent. I felt the tears release themselves and I couldn't bring myself to look up. I had moved my head to the side of me so I wouldn't get any of the vile stuff on Sellus's things, but now I stared directly at the disgusting mess I made. No one laughed, no one made fun of me, but I felt so embarrassed I started to sob, the tears dripping off from the tip of my nose and plopping into the bile. I felt two hands rest themselves on my shoulders, feminine but not furry. It wasn't Miss. Meredith, but I didn't care. I let the lady, whoever she was, pull me up and guide me to the kitchen. I kept my head down, unable to meet the gaze of anyone. I was lifted up and put on the kitchen counter.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" The woman's voice was gentle, soothing. I shook my head helplessly. I felt a wet rag wipe my mouth and cheeks, a soft thumb stroking my shoulder. It took a long while before I started to relax, if only slightly. I buried my face into my hands, unsure what to do or say. _Sellus, why did you have to go? _

"Mrs. Drake," It was Miss. Meredith coming into the room. "I sent the kids to the abbey, as you said. How's Cerise doing?" I forced myself to look up, running a hand through my hair with a shaky breath. Miss Meredith glanced at me and rushed over, pulling me into a hug. I buried my face into her shoulder, wanting to absorb every bit of warmth she had to offer.

"Why do I still feel like this?" I sobbed, my nails digging into the Marleybonian's dress as I attempted to pull myself closer to her. "Why did he have to go?"

"I don't know sweetheart, I don't know…" Miss. Meredith pulled away though her arms were still wrapped around me. Her dog-shaped face was full of sympathy and pain. She brushed my hair out of my face and pressed her forehead awkwardly to mine. "Do you still want to go?" I thought about this for a few precious moments, or maybe even minutes. _I _didn't want to go, but Sellus…

"I don't, but S-Sellus did." The Marleybonian, who was so much like a mother to me, nodded in understanding. She glanced over to the side, and following her gaze I saw the woman who had brought me in. Her hair was the color of autumn leaves and her eyes green as grass. She gave a small, somehow comforting smile.

"My name's Sylvia Drake, dear, I-I'll be the one taking you," she held out my picture and toy, and shakily I took them from her. There was a genuine sadness about her though I knew she never met Sellus. I glanced at Miss. Meredith, who kissed me on the forehead and placed me down on the ground.

"Go with her, sweetie. For Sellus," I stared up at her, and unsure what to do, I repeated her words quietly.

"For Sellus," I walked over to Sylvia, who gently took my hand and started leading me out the kitchen entrance. I glanced back Miss. Meredith, who blew me a kiss goodbye. That was the last I saw of her before we disappeared in a flash of green light.

_So this is it Sellus. Everything's changing now..._

**_So yeah, basically an emotional dump. I wrote this chapter on my friends birthday though it's not being posted until now, so emotions were just overwhelming for me that day. He was a writer too, so I wanted to dedicate this story to him :') R.I.P buddy...ANYWHO, ignore the emotional wreck I am, the OC submission form is what you want. I'd prefer it if you sent me the info via PM, but if you want to review instead that's fine (talking to you anonymous readers out there, you can review, everyone else BETTER PM ME *gets chainsaw*) I'll try to get everyone's characters in, but the most detailed ones will land a main part in the story. (I have no set number of chars I need yet, so I'm sorry if yours doesn't make it. I'll try to give them a small part, but I won't make any promises. You can submit up to 2 characters.) Have fun creating!  
_**

**_name:_**

**_age: (any age, but Cerise will PROBABLY be 10-18 in this)  
_**

**_level: (can be any level, Cerise PROBABLY 1-60. I say probably because I suck at planning xP)_**

**_gender: _**

**_school:_**

**_secondary school: (if there are more than two schools, specify here)_**

**_looks: (must include hair, eyes, body shape, any distinct features like scars or tattoos, any important clothes like necklaces, rings, etc.)_**

**_Weapon: (name and basic description)_**

**_personality: (include any fears)_**

**_likes:_**

**_dislikes:_**

**_family: (name, age, relationship to character)_**

**_pets: (include what they are, their names, and what their personalities are like)  
_**

**_mounts:(same as above)  
_**

**_good, evil, or neutral: (or neutrally-good/ neutrally-evil XD)  
_**

**_Background: (how their life is, any important experiences and/or why they are the way they are)_**

**_etc: (this can include anything I might have left out that's important to your character, such as fighting style, favorite spell, dark secrets, etc.) _**


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Well THAT took longer than anticipated. Really I was waiting for Firestorm to complete her OC submissions 'cause I THOUGHT I'd introduce them this chapter. Of course, I don't plan out my stories, so that'll have to wait 'til either the next chapter or the one after it. Anywho, I'm still accepting OC's, so feel free to PM (or review) them to me. So far the only two that have for sure landed main parts are Firestorm's characters. **_

_**Response to le reviews: **_

_**Firestorm: (I already responded, but again thank you for recommending my stories, for the awesome OC's, and for the high praise :D)**_

_**NightSkyWolves: It certainly has been a while :P I'll tell you what I told Firestorm in response to the emotion description: I put A LOT of my own experience with death into it to make it as genuine as possible (at least with my limited skills). As for the length thing, that's a first with me :D *fireworks and candy* XD PS: Anonymous can review their characters. I'm guessing you didn't see that part (or I explained it poorly, which wouldn't be a surprise really) ;P**_

_**Smurf Berry Pie: She certianly sounds interesting, especially wih the soul thing, but unfortuantely becuase she's so vague I won't be able to use her as a main character. If you want to you can add more info for me and she might land a part, but for now she might be a minor character. Also, can you PM me the submission if you make changes/still want her in this instead of review? I want to keep submitted OC's a surprise :3 **_

_**ENJOY!**_

**Chapter 2:**

As Sylvia teleported, all I could see was a flash of brilliant white light. It made my head spin, and I began to feel nauseated again, though this was from a very different cause. For a split second I felt as if something were ripping me away from Sylvia, some type of magnetic force, and all of the sudden we were in a different room, the light vanishing in an instant. _So that's what teleporting feels like? _

"Sorry if that scared you sweetie." I flinched as Sylvia spoke, and I realized how tightly I was holding on to her. She looked down at me with gentle green eyes and let go of my hand, running her fingers through my hair before pulling away. Unsure what else to do, I made my way over to a group of kids who were sitting in the first two rows of seats. A few of them cast me a disgusted glance, clearly remembering how I retched in the orphanage. I stopped in my tracks, feeling my nails scratch at the coarse fabric of my pants, and realizing how I wasn't going to be very welcome among the kids I sat down in the fourth row, well away from them.

I rested Sellus's wooden toy beside me and looked at the picture, running a finger along his cheek, taking in every detail. His pointy red hat slumped slightly to the right - it had belonged to visiting wizard, so it was a bit too big for him - and his mouth was open as if he were explaining something. In one of his hands was the same doll I now had, and without tearing my gaze from the picture I reached over and absently stroked the wooden toy's hat, feeling the familiar rush of grief. He had been explaining the game we were going to play, where we pretended to be wizards at the Wizard City Arena. The wizard who loaned Sellus the hat had just explained what it was like, and Sellus immediately thought up the idea. It was also when he decided he wanted to become a Fire mage, a Pyromancer.

I looked up as the background noise of the gossiping students suddenly died down, and I saw that Sylvia was standing up in front of the Spiral Door, along with a sinister looking man. He had long, thin, raven-black hair, had stark white skin, and was dressed head to toe in menacing black robes. I safely assumed he was a Necromancer of some sorts. Both he and Sylvia were addressing the kids assembled in the area. I hesitated, looking at the picture one final time before laying it face-down in my lap. Grabbing the toy I hugged it and paid attention to Sylvia.

"When you first enter the Spiral Door, it will make you a bit dizzy. The first time is always a bit difficult; it's unlike anything you've experienced." Sylvia was explaining. A few kids exchanged glances with each other, murmuring anxiously. I wondered if it were anything like teleporting. It _was _fast-travel after all, just between different worlds rather than marks on the same one. "Is everyone ready?" Everyone nodded, everyone except for me. Suddenly it didn't seem like a good idea to go to Ravenwood. Sylvia glanced over at me and leaned over to whisper something to the man beside her. His dark eyes twinkled briefly, and after a quick nod to her he slowly made his way over. I gulped, shifting as far back in my seat as possible. He was absolutely _terrifying. _

"Sylvia told me about your brother," he knelt down beside me. "A shame something like that had to happen to such a young boy." I didn't respond, instead turning my head away from him. I heard him sigh, though it wasn't an unkindly or impatient one. It was almost..._sympathetic. _"I don't know what I would do if my twin were to die like that."

My head shot up, eyes widening as I turned to look at him. "You...you have a twin?"

He nodded. "A brother and one of the few people I have left that I can call family. He and I argue more often than not, but twins have a bond unlike any other, don't they?" I found myself nodding in agreement. Sellus and I always were closer than some of the other siblings were, and we always knew what the other was feeling. I shivered and hugged the doll closer to me, feeling a sharp prick in my heart. _Oh Sellus…_

The man stood up. "I'm Malistaire Drake. Sylvia is my wife if that makes you any more comfortable," The man - Malistaire - held out his hand. _I guess if Sylvia likes him, then I can, but… _As much as the guy terrified me, I didn't have much of a choice. Tucking the picture underneath my arm and continuing to hug Sellus's toy I jumped out of my seat and grabbed Malistaire's hand, letting him guide me to the Spiral Door. All of the others had already gone, leaving only me and the Drakes. Sylvia rested her hands on my shoulders.

"Are you ready?" I breathed in, feeling goosebumps form along my arms, and nodded. Malistaire let go of my hand and went in first, assuring me that he'd wait for me on the other side. I glanced up at Sylvia, who gave me a reassuring smile and gently squeezed my shoulder. Holding my breath I turned to the swirling portal, little sparks of light spiraling toward its center, and stepped in.

The experience was almost nothing like simple teleporting. Instead of feeling light-headed or nauseous, it felt like my body was being twisted in different directions. Instead of a simple white light, there was an aurora of colors flashing before my eyes, reds, blues, whites, purples...and just like regular teleporting, it all lasted for a mere second. When I felt solid ground beneath me I was trembling so much I nearly dropped Sellus's stuff. I tried to relax, taking deep breaths and hugging my picture and toy to my chest, but it didn't help much. As my eyes began to adjust to the dimmer, more natural light around me, I gasped in amazement. The room - at least I thought it was a room - was _incredible._

I was so used to Marleybone's careful brickwork and architecture I didn't even consider how other places would have building made completely of wood. The walls, which looked to be made of a very strong, red-brown bark, stretched upwards towards a plume of emerald green leaves, where sunlight filtered through them just enough to naturally light up the very large room. Fancy dark green rugs with gold details - much like the ones I saw at Avalonian restaurants Miss Meredith often took me to - were evenly spaced out on the dark wooden floors. Trees circled the area, their leaves glistening as they gently drifted with the breeze. I glanced down and saw that I was standing on the only stone floor in the area, which was a light beige color, a bright green insignia of some type engraved into it, the center of the symbol being where the Spiral Door was. This room beat anything I had ever seen in Marleybone, and I shifted Sellus's toy in my arms so that he was facing forward, like somehow the toy could see for him. I felt Sylvia's soft hand rest on my shoulder, her smile as sweet as always.

"Cerise, welcome to World Tree...your first step into Wizard City."

* * *

The first thing the Drakes showed us was the main school area, Ravenwood. I had heard the stories and legends of Bartleby before - everyone knew about the Grandfather Tree - but I never imagined just how big he was. The great tree towered well above all several schools and dilled most of the ground with his long, moss-covered roots. Malistaire explained to us that Bartleby watched over the Spiral by use of his two eyes, which were given to him by his sister, the Great Raven. The Eye of History looked into the past, and the Eye of the Future foretold of coming events. They went on to explain each school and their pros and cons, as well as introduced us to the school trees: Ivan, Blossom, Moritis, Bernie, Kelvin, and Torrence. I had already learned about this from Jenstin though, so I hardly paid attention, instead enjoying the serene beauty of it all.

"_Woah! Look at the Fire school, Cer! The tree looks __**awesome!**_" I could just imagine Sellus's voice as we passed the Pyromancy school. He always had a fascination with fire, and seeing as the Tree - Bernie - seemed to be completely made of it, it wasn't hard to picture Sellus sitting by his trunk and talking about one random thing or another. Despite being so close to the fiery school I shivered and hugged myself. Sellus deserved this, to be here in such a magical place, but he wasn't.

"It'll help if you focused more on your surroundings rather than your thoughts," the deep voice of Malistaire made me flinch. I focused my gaze on the ground and shrugged.

"I just like to think…" I murmured, shifting uncomfortably. It probably sounded like some lame, childish excuse in his ears, but it was enough to keep him quiet. He remained at my side as we continued on with the Ravenwood tour, he and Sylvia switching back and forth as they explained how the dorms were and what exactly Secondary classes were. I didn't pay much attention to them though, and I knew that somewhere down the line I'd pay for it.

The next area we entered was called the Commons. While it wasn't as magnificent as Ravenwood, it was more peaceful. A crystal clear lake, created by a waterfall over by a beautiful stone bridge, covered much of the area. There was a fountain in the middle of it, two wizards and a Piggle sitting at its top as two magical spheres circled them. The grass surrounding the lake was emerald green, trimmed and well kept with not a single dry patch in sight. Wizards in robes of all shapes and colors surrounded the area. A few guys were wearing some sturdy looking armor while other, much younger wizards' clothes weren't even properly dyed. One boy had a funny looking Jester hat on.

"This is where our tour ends," Sylvia turned to address the kids. "You will wait here until called upon by Ambrose."

"Where're the other enrollees?" someone called out.

"They will be arriving next week," Malistaire went over to stand beside his wife, eyes sharp as flint. "You guys are here a bit early because we want you to get used to your new surroundings." The was sudden blend of terrified and excited murmuring at the prospect of a new life, a new home.

"For now you will live in a house provided for you, though not all of you will be living together in a single area like at the orphanage. There will be groups separated evenly amongst you so there won't be any problems with room. Those who have a red scarf around their neck are the ones willing to adopt you until school starts, when you'll move to the dormitory." Many of the kids had already spread amongst themselves, linking arms and whispering excitedly to each other. Sylvia smiled warmly and dismissed us. Everyone spread out and searched for their soon-to-be guardian. Even though it was only for a short time, orphans were always excited when they were taken under someone's care. At least that's how I always viewed it.

I frowned and slumped down beside a tree, feeling exhausted. My stomach made and unhealthy gurgling sound and my eyes were so heavy I could've fallen asleep right then and there. I hugged my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them and trying to keep my eyes open. Sylvia glanced at her husband and made her way over to me, sitting down on the grass. "Poor dear…" she murmured, pulling a few strands of hair back behind my ear.

"I still don't know if I want to be a wizard, Mrs Drake," I murmured. I saw her exchange another glance with Malistaire before pulling me into her arms, gently stroking my hair with her fingers and planting a small kiss on my head. I hugged Sellus's doll and the picture closer to me and buried my face in her shoulder, wanting every bit of warmth I could get. Sylvia began humming a gentle song, a lullaby, and slowly my eyes began to close, her soothing tone the most relaxing thing I've heard since Sellus's death.

"_How about we adopt her?" _Sylvia''s voice was like an echo in my head, and the long silence that followed almost made me think I imagined it.

"_Alright, we'll adopt her." _

Malistaire's deep, sympathetic tone was the last thing I heard as I drifted asleep.

_**AN: OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. I LOVE THE DRAKE TRIO SO I HAD TO HAVE MALISTAIRE AND SYLVIA ADOPT HER SINCE THIS STORY'S SEPERATE FROM LG AND THEREFOR SEPARATE FROM FIRESTORM'S STORY, THEREFOR GIVING ME THE ABILITY TO DO THIS. So there. Yeah I know. "Bubu you're so unoriginal with this". Just shush. I have a few special twists in mind so don't give me the unoriginal hit-to-the-head yet. **_


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